120

The Ark.

Noah knew for 120 years.

We study in the book of Genesis about Noah, his righteous family, and less than righteous brethren. Noah always wanted to do what the Lord wanted him to do, even if the right thing was the hard thing.

If I had to guess, building an ark to fit all the animals and all the individuals - even those that mocked him for trying- over the span of 120 years was the hard thing.

I wonder if he questioned his ability to build the ark and gather the animals.

I wonder if it stung when his calls to repentance were rejected.

I wonder if he ever doubted a small portion of God’s direction- or at least his ability to receive that direction.

I wonder if he ever felt lonely- left to his own thoughts and misconstrued expectations.

I wonder if he ever wished the right answer wasn't the right answer.

I know he had time to.

The Flood.

I don’t know, but I can’t help but believe- that after 120 years, Noah breathed a sigh of relief when the storm clouds finally formed.

The flood lasted weeks, and the aftermath even longer. What kind of individual could actually be grateful for a storm that took so much preparation and seemingly brought so much destruction?

Maybe a person who knew the flood would leave a new world, a cleansed people, and a more faithful, confident Noah.

After 120 years, he finally saw the purpose of it all, and knew God had kept his promises.

The Resolve.

Maybe it takes 120 years to realize that there is more ‘light’ to be found in the rainy days than the sunny ones- more valuable lessons in the process than the result.

Someday, we'll be grateful for the right answers and the right directions, the right promptings and the right timing. Someday, they will finally feel right.

I testify that the ‘joy [that] cometh in the morning’ starts its development long before sunrise.

So we can look forward to the hard things and the right answers and the floods and the rainbows that follow them.

Because for each moment of the 120 years and the moments that follow, Jesus Christ walks with us.

#StartingToday #HearHim